Christmas in Cambodia.

Our sister churches in Cambodia our starting their Christmas celebrations. There were over a hundred people in my wife's home village of Stung Jah who came. Tomorrow Pastor Malai is going to another village where my wife's aunts live. Pray that these relatives will understand and receive the gospel. Our sister churches in Cambodia use Christmas as an important time of outreach. Some of these people may be hearing the truth of Christmas for the very first time.

Luke 2

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Ultimate Truth

We live in time when there is great confusion over truth. The very idea that there is truth is called into question. We are told that there is no absolutes and that truth is relative. According to George Barna, a Christian researcher, many Christian young people are accepting relativism. But relativism leads to nihilism and despair. What hope is there if there really isn't truth? But is there absolute truth and can be know it? The Biblical answer is yes.

The ancient Greek philosophers had a term that they used for the absolute and ultimate truth. They used the term Logos, which we translate into English as Word. Notice how the Apostle John uses this term:

John 1:1,14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the Ultimate Truth. Yes, we can know the Truth because the Ultimate Truth entered into our reality. As we think about Christmas, let rejoice in the fact that we can know the Ultimate Truth. The Ultimate Truth is the One who said, "I am the Truth."

Christmas and the book of Ruth

In my devotions I have just read the book of Ruth. The book of Ruth is not something we normally associate with Christmas but it is connected. The story of Ruth is set in Bethlehem. Long before Christ came, God was getting things ready for his coming, and preparing his family line. In this story we have Naomi lost in hopeless, bitterness, and emptiness. This was a result of sin and judgment. But then Boaz came into the story. He is frequently called the redeemer in story. He brings in new hope and life out of death and despair. At the end of the book the woman say to Naomi:

Ruth 4

14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life...

Boaz is a type of his descendant Jesus Christ. In Bethlehem, there would one day be another Redeemer who will deliver all of us from sin, judgement, and hopelessness and restore all of lives.

Josiah going radioactive.

Josiah singing with OSU group powerchord

You can deeply embarrass Josiah by watching this video of him singing with a school choir.

Jars of clay.

I always sort of wished I could be superhuman. Some how I could suddenly overcome my human limitations and weaknesses and do anything. I came across this passage as I was while I was preparing a Bible study made me think:

2 Corinthians 4

"7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you."


May its okay not to be be superhuman after all. Maybe God wants me to be fragile, like a jar of clay. Because after all it isn't about me, its about him. If I were superhuman it would be about me. If I am a frail human it is about him. When I reach my human limits and he acts, I know its him who got me through it. Maybe God wants people to see Christ's life not mine. He is the real superhero.

Celebrating Thanksgiving with Modern Day Pilgrims

We remember the story of Thanksgiving, when the Pilgrims celebrated how God had delivered them death and tyranny and brought them to a new land where they had freedom to serve and worship him. Today I celebrated Thanksgiving with modern day Pilgrims. While spending time with my Cambodian family, my sister-in-law Jenny commented on how remarkable it was that the whole family survived the holocaust in Cambodia. This began a discussion all the things that the family survived during that time. Like the original Pilgrims, these modern Pilgrims thanked God that he had delivered the from death and tyranny. God has brought them to a new land where they can serve and worship him freely.

How to keep from going crazy on Thanksgiving?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US. Have you ever wondered why God asks us to be thankful? Does God need us to be thankful? Is God insecure? If we don't thank him will he feel depressed or have an identity crisis? Of course not. God is God whether we thank him or not. If God does not need us to be thankful then way does he ask us to be thankful? Its not because he needs it but because WE need it.

In the book of Romans, Paul gives his great explanation of the gospel. He starts the book by showing in universal problem of sin. What started man's downward spiral?

Romans 1

"21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools ...:

Our whole mess starts with us forgetting to honor and thank God. And what does that lead to? Our thinking gets all distorted. We go all crazy. We start acting like we are the center of the universe and we can make our own truth. Why do we humans do all the stupid, wrong, self-destructive things we do? The rest of Romans 1 goes on to describe how we humans make a the total mess of things because we forgot to be thankful.

So we have all gone crazy. So how do we stop going crazy? Paul gives the answer:

Philippians 4

"6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

We need to pray with thanksgiving. We are thankful God protects our hearts and minds with his peace. This happens by being in a relationship with Christ Jesus. We can stop being crazy.

Need something to be thankful for? Here is a great one to start with:

2 Corinthians 9:15

"Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!"